Satan did not tempt you because of your intemperance. Commandment: “The wife does not own her own body, but the husband…” (1 Corinthians 7:4)

According to St. John Chrysostom, peace in family relationships should not be sacrificed to abstinence. He speaks of this when commenting on the passage in the First Epistle to the Corinthians of the Apostle Paul, which already in his era was understood by some Christian women as a call for a complete renunciation of conjugal communion.

Here is a quote from the letter of the Apostle Paul: "And about what you wrote to me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But, in order to avoid fornication, each one has his own wife, and each one has her husband. husband. A wife has no power over her own body, but a husband does, and likewise a husband has no power over his own body, but a wife. lest Satan tempt you with your intemperance. However, I said this as a permission, and not as a command. For I desire that all people be like me; but each has his own gift from God, one in this way, another in that way (1 Cor 7 :1-7).

The apostle writes in the same Epistle 11:20-34 that it is necessary to distinguish between Eucharistic meals and to prepare for them in a special way. Thus, for the Apostle Paul, married life is a space of freedom in love; this is an internal affair of the family, which is not subject to any other regulation than mutual consent and Eucharistic piety.

Explaining these words of the apostle, St. John Chrysostom focuses on the fact that the family is a sacrament of two, therefore decisions in it cannot be made alone; they are as common as married life is. The key word for him in the above quote is the word "consent".

St. John Chrysostom explains this passage from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians as follows: “Do not deprive yourself of one another, only by agreement (1 Corinthians 7:5)—what does this mean? - Against the will of the wife. Why? Because from this abstinence comes a great evil; from this often there were adulteries, fornications and domestic disorder. For if others, having their wives, indulge in adultery, much more will they indulge in it when they are deprived of this He said well: do not deprive yourselves: what here he called deprivation, he called debt above (1 Cor. So, if you take something from me with my consent, it will not be a deprivation for me, depriving one who takes against his will and by force.

Many wives do this, committing a great sin against justice and thus giving their husbands a pretext for debauchery and leading to disorder. Unanimity should be preferred to everything; it matters most. If you want, we will prove it by experience. Let there be a wife and a husband, and let the wife abstain when the husband does not want it. What will happen? Will he not commit adultery, or, if he does not commit adultery, will he not grieve, worry, inflame, quarrel and cause much trouble to his wife? What is the use of fasting and abstinence when love is violated? No. How much grief will inevitably arise from this, how much trouble, how much strife!

The Christian piety of one of the spouses should not cause pain and suffering to the other. Marriage is a mutual gift; each of the two brings himself, his life as a gift to the other, and it is not customary to take such gifts back. St. John Chrysostom rejects the idea of ​​filth, which marital bonds allegedly darken those who are united by them.

This idea is found in late Judaism and in a number of Gnostic sects of the 2nd-4th centuries, today we find it in totalitarian sects, but it is not inherent in Christianity. Marital relations do not defile, another thing is that they distract from prayer, but nothing more. But on the other hand, how is communication with God possible, the price of which is confusion and grief in the soul of a person who shares his fate with you? The choice of celibacy is possible before marriage, but not in it.

The conflict between personal piety and peace in the family must be resolved in favor of peace, otherwise the unity for which the spouses asked for the blessing of the Church in the sacrament of the wedding will be under threat of termination.

“If in a house a husband and wife do not agree with each other, then their house is no better than a ship overwhelmed by the waves, on which the helmsman does not agree with the helmsman. and prayer. Here he means prayer, performed with special care, because if he forbade those who copulate to pray, then where would the time for unceasing prayer come from (1 Thessalonians 5:17)?

Therefore, it is possible to copulate with a wife and pray, but with abstinence, prayer is more perfect. He did not just say, pray, but abide, because the (marriage) affair only distracts from this, and does not produce defilement. And then be together again, lest Satan tempt you (1 Corinthians 7:5). Lest you think that this is a law, add a reason. What? Don't let Satan tempt you. And so that you know that it is not the devil who is only guilty of adultery, he adds: because of your intemperance (1 Corinthians 7:5).

Does it follow from these words of St. John Chrysostom that Christian spouses should ignore fasting times? Not at all. He speaks here of a completely different thing - of a hierarchy of values ​​and recalls what is really bad and what is not, although he distracts from prayer.

Fasting is a time of intense prayer, hence the tradition of abstinence during fasting. But if in food everyone decides for himself how much and what he can afford, then in matters of family relations it is necessary to take into account the opinion of the other spouse, moreover, it is this opinion that becomes decisive in these matters, even if even this caused some damage to the prayerful mood the more ascetic of them.

Here, as in mountain climbing: the group focuses not on the strongest, but on the weakest and most inexperienced, and builds its own mode of movement, based precisely on its capabilities and level of training. We must ascend, but we must ascend together. Otherwise, everyone may die.

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On marital relations during fasting:

• There is no fixed charter of marital relations- Deacon Andrei Kuraev
• - Hieromonk Dimitry Pershin
• About abstinence in the marital bed- Lilia Malakhova
• Do spouses need to repent of "fornication" ... with each other?- Archpriest Andrey Dudchenko
• Concerning Spousal Abstinence During Lent- Priest Jacob Korobkov

***

That is why the Church does not regulate the rhythm and measure of marital relations, drawing only two restrictive lines: they are excluded on the eve of the sacrament of baptism and communion. Yes, this is the minimum level, starting, so to speak. And then - each family has its own circumstances and its own path to God.

About what these ways can be, the modern Athos ascetic, the elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer, wrote in one of his letters as follows: “You ask me about the marital relations of married priests and laity. The Holy Fathers do not give precise definitions of how these relationship.This means that marital relationship is a topic that cannot be clearly defined, since all people cannot live according to one pattern.The question of marital relationship the Fathers leave to the judgment, piety, spiritual sensitivity and strength of each person.

In order to be more understandable, I will give examples from the life of people who are ascetic - married priests and laity. These people are still alive and I know them. Among them there are those who, having created a family, entered into marital intimacy and gave birth to one, two or three children, after which they live in virginity. Others enter into marital intimacy once a year for the sake of having children, and the rest of the time they live as brother and sister. Still others abstain from marital relations during fasting, and then enter into marital intimacy. The fourth fails even to do this. There are spouses who have fellowship in the middle of the week so that they can be clean three days before Divine Communion and three days after It. Others stumble on this as well. Therefore, appearing after His Resurrection to the apostles, Christ, having given them the power to forgive sins, first of all said to them: “As the Father has sent Me, and I am sending you ... Receive the Holy Spirit. ". The goal is for everyone to strive with discernment and piety, in accordance with their spiritual powers.

Of course, youth gets in the way at first. But over time, the flesh weakens and the spirit can take the dominant position. And when this happens, even married people begin to taste something small from divine pleasures. They naturally move away from carnal pleasures, which they already look at as completely insignificant. Thus, people living in marriage are purified in some way and, climbing the easy, gentle, winding path, come to Paradise. Whereas the monks ascend to Paradise, going straight - vertically, climbing the rocks.

You should also keep in mind that the problem of marital relations is not only your problem and you do not have the right to regulate this issue yourself, but, as the Apostle Paul writes: “by agreement”, attention is also needed. A strong spouse should put himself in the place of a weak one. [...] Forgive me for going into someone else's garden, for the business of a monk is the rosary, and not such topics." Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain of blessed memory. Words. Vol. 4. Family life. Suroti, Thessaloniki: Monastery of St. Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, Moscow: Holy Mountain, 2005, pp. 69-72.

The latter also applies to me, but I had to write this text in connection with the controversy that unfolded on various resources regarding my interview with the Interfax agency, in which, unfortunately, I had to cut these extensive quotations, which are important for understanding the position of the Church on this issue.

Dimitri Pershin, hieromonk

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P.S. On the material about. Demetrius published a whole series of critical articles. I can't resist expressing support for Fr. Dimitri.

Publication about. Demetrius that there are formally no canonical prohibitions on marital relations during fasting, which means that if spouses enter into them for some reason, this is not a sin, a sin that destroys fasting, especially a mortal sin.

Yes, the unanimous opinion of the Church is that abstinence during fasting for spouses is DESIRABLE, PREFERRED.

But there should also be indulgence towards the infirmities of people, especially in the period of youth. Above all virtues is LOVE. Fasting should not be the cause of discord in the family.

I have always been struck by the ease with which many pastors continue to quote someone's expressed zeal out of reason that it is imperative to abstain from each other during pregnancy and lactation.

Can you imagine a normal 20 - 25 year old guy, living under the same roof with a beautiful young wife, not wanting her for a year?

I will say harshly, but from the bottom of my heart - I would make all the "zealots" of piety from the monasteries (this wind of pastoral folly blows most often from there), repeating about complete abstinence during pregnancy and lactation, I would force them to live in a one-room apartment with some young woman one year. Then I would see what songs they would sing about pious temperance. Yes, this is no normal man will not tolerate.

I have the impression that there are a lot of impotent people on the forums who agree with all this ... Or they don't like their wives. Or are they single...

A beloved wife is always desirable, just like a husband. I will say more - it is only in fornication that every new woman always causes violent passion. With a long marriage, if there is no REAL LOVE between spouses, close relationships subside and even stop. And if after 15 - 20 years of living together the mutual attraction to each other remains strong, then this is not a sign of fornication, but a sign of preserved LOVE, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND FORGIVENESS. Who lives in a happy marriage, they will understand me ...

Marital relations are such a delicate thing, you can’t operate with patterns here. It is advisable to abstain - yes, but if there was intimacy - what is this mortal sin? From the point of view of sound asceticism, it is impossible to force young people to a high degree of abstinence, who simply have hormones and health in full swing. Another question is that it is easier for 40-year-olds to abstain ...

By the way, I have never heard that any of the priests who write on this topic said - we should not take the feats of abstinence to the young, we need to think about this at an age, but we must say so.

Still, fasting for many days is not the norm for a Christian's life - it is a kind of higher spiritual state, and if someone did not pull this feat, did he fall to hell? I emphasize neither I, and I think, nor Father Dimitry and Fr. Daniil Sysoev (who expresses similar thoughts) does not defend the kindling of sexual lust.

The conversation is about a condescending attitude towards those that cannot endure, and at the same time suffer, thinking that this is sinning, almost a mortal sin.

Sexual relations are an area where even God does not interfere. The only restriction that God's revelation gives is abstinence during menstruation.

We will be saved by the fulfillment of the two main commandments - Love for God and Love for our neighbor. How does legal conjugal intercourse with mutual words of love with tenderness violate these commandments? That from this wife will love God less?

I think that many adherents of abstinence are based on the false idea that marital relations are some kind of abomination, sin, and that relationships are only for childbearing ... then why was the opportunity for orgasm given to a person?

But this is not so ... but gluttony is a sin, and fornication is a sin ... But food indulgence in fasting and marital relations cannot be a sin.

“I want mercy, not sacrifice,” says the Lord. Mercy from both the weak and the weak…. And I don’t see this mercy for the weak in many comments ...

24.03.2008.
With the hope of our salvation,
Maxim Stepanenko, supervisor
Missionary Department
Tomsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church

7:1 And what you wrote to me about, it’s good for a man not to touch a woman .
The Corinthian ascetics seem to have already raised the issue of gender in Christian congregations in their letters to Paul.

Geneva: It is very likely that this expression was used by a group of ascetics among the Corinthian Christians, who condemned promiscuous sexual cohabitation and argued that a Christian should either not marry at all, or, if he marries, should abstain from sexual intercourse.
In support of their position, they may have referred to Paul's celibacy.

The apostle had to be careful not to distort his teaching one way or the other.

He recognizes certain advantages of a single state (v. 7:8), and below (v. 29-35) gives especially strong reasons that a Christian can remain single.
However, the main goal of the apostle is to correct those who demanded indispensable celibacy.
Elsewhere, Paul speaks of marriage approvingly (e.g., Eph. 5:22-33; 1 Tim. 3:2) and even condemns "those who forbid marriage" (1 Tim. 4:3).

7:2 But, [in order to avoid] fornication, each one has his own wife, and each one has her own husband.
In any case, taking into account the problem of a Christian meeting in fornication with his father's wife, Paul showed that marriage would help solve the problems of those Christians who cannot live alone. This will help to keep clean before God, not defiling yourself and the congregation with fornication.

7:3 Husband show his wife due favor; like a wife to her husband.
Paul is talking about husbands honoring each other and giving their wives and husbands what they need. But not under duress, but voluntarily. If a husband loves his wife, then it will be easy for him to pay attention to her, not only when he needs something from her, but constantly. Likewise, a wife must treat her husband.
What is due? It's not just about satisfying sexual needs. But in general, everything that needs to be given to each other in order to satisfy emotional needs, needs for communication and support.

Insight and communication with each other will help to understand what a spouse needs to make him happy (it’s not about indulging each other’s whims, but about the necessary, without which the life of spouses in marriage becomes unbearable: about love, respect, sympathy and support, etc.). d.). Since from the moment of marriage, the husband and wife already become one flesh, therefore, they should take care of each other as if they were their own body.

7: 4 The wife has no power over her body, but the husband; likewise, the husband has no power over his own body, but the wife does.
Paul is telling Christians not to think that in marriage, everyone is on their own. Spouses must eradicate selfishness and concern only for themselves. From now on (from the moment of marriage), each of them no longer belongs to himself. Both are to each other. Therefore, we must take care of each other's needs. (An example of this would be Christ loving and caring for the church of Christ)

Some believers use the delicate part of this text to their advantage and with authority demand from the life partner the fulfillment of the marital duty of the marriage bed on the basis of these words of Paul.

Paul did not mean that in such delicate matters God permits the use of violence. This text is not about the power to demand. And about the natural power of marital relations between husband and wife, for God not only allows the union of the sexes in marriage - He commanded it (Gen. 1:28)
It's said by Paul not in order to blackmail a satellite, but in order to take it into service and perform it yourself:
No one seek his own, but each one [the benefit] of another (1 Corinthians 10:24).
If spouses in a family care not only about themselves, but also about their life partners, then this is according to Christ.

7:5 Do not deviate from each other, except by agreement, for a while, for the exercise in fasting and prayer,
There is a time to hug and there is a time to avoid hugging (Eccl. 3:5). Evasion time is purely individual. Paul does not establish a rule for abstinence, but shows that occasional abstinence, especially during periods of trouble and intense prayer, is a natural state for Christian spouses. All this can be solved with their joint efforts.
About temperance in the N.Z. there are these principles:
1 Corinthians 8:8Food does not bring us closer to God: for if we eat, we gain nothing; if we don't eat, we don't lose anything.
Romans 14:17For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Col.2:23This has only the appearance of wisdom in self-willed service, humility and exhaustion of the body, in a certain neglect of the nourishment of the flesh.

That is, the essence of abstinence is not to give up some needs of nature - for the sake of pleasing God (He does not need our hunger strikes. He Himself created these needs for people, not expecting that people should refuse them). And in not being carried away only by the needs of nature and not devoting your life only to them. But also - to give place to the service of God and spiritual communion with Him, and - the spiritual should be a priority.

As for fasting, there is no obligatory commandment in the NT to fast (whether we eat or not, we don’t get better). But if someone decides for himself so for some reason, this is not forbidden. Spouses can discuss these issues together. Paul is talking about the tradition of fasting - for the habitual inertia of the practice of Judaism, where it was customary to fast.

Prayer is an indicator of the close relationship with God, marriage in this should not be an obstacle for any of the spouses. In married life, there are plenty of opportunities to make time for prayer, but it is not necessary to pray without fail for the purpose of abstinence (instead of being together). Otherwise, it would be an excellent reason to refuse what is needed - to your companion, referring to the need to "keep" the prayer ritual, which is wrong: prayer should not be a "tool" of blackmail in marriage.

and [then] be together again, lest Satan tempt you with your intemperance.
Often the cause of adultery is precisely the coldness and constant avoidance of one of the companions of life, which can serve as a temptation to another - to seek intimate relationships on the side.

7:6 However, I said this as a permission, and not as a command.
The advice to the Corinthians to marry does not refer to the command of God, which Christians are absolutely obliged to fulfill from now on.
The advice was given to the congregation as an example of solving problems with fornication - according to God's principles, because the desire to build relationships with people of the opposite sex is a normal and permissible phenomenon for a person, which has been embedded in him since the creation of Adam.
Let's remember that even perfect Adam in paradise was "NOT GOOD to be alone", which God noticed when giving him Eve (Gen. 2:18).

But promiscuity in fornication is not permissible for a Christian; for this, God provided for the creation of a family and marital relations.

7:7 For I wish that all people were like me; but each has his own gift from God, one this way, the other another.
Although Paul himself welcomes celibacy, and, understandably, would like every Christian to devote his life exclusively to spreading the Gospel (for himself, this was the highest meaning of life) – however, the apostle is realistic and understands that voluntarily “castling himself for the sake of the Kingdom” is not everyone can do it.

In addition, Akila and Priscilla are a good example of family service to God. Paul recognizes the choice of whether to serve God married or celibate is up to every Christian.

7:8,9 To the unmarried and to the widows I say: it is good for them to remain like me. But if [they cannot] abstain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to be inflamed.

If there are no major problems with inciting passions, it is better to try to remain celibate, because there are much fewer obstacles to doing the work of God: Paul knows this from personal experience. Persecution for the word of God might have had a detrimental effect on his family, and concern for the provision of the family would have taken away his time from the work of God. And in solitude it is easier to devote yourself entirely to the service of the Lord.

However, if it is not possible to extinguish the kindled flesh, then it is better to enter into marriage than to bring yourself to the defilement of fornication.

7:10 I do not command, but the Lord: wife not to divorce her husband
What Paul says about a wife does not mean that God allows a husband to get a divorce. These commands of God concern family relationships in principle.

A little further down in 7:12 Paul says: « I speak, not the Lord ”, but this does not mean at all that Paul, giving his advice, contradicts the Lord:
about the attitude of a Christian to marriage are the instructions of Jesus Christ. A Christian who has entered into marriage has no right to divorce and remarry many times, unless there are good reasons for this (adultery) - Mt.19:9.
Therefore, before taking this step, a Christian needs to carefully consider what will be easier for him: to subdue his flesh and spend himself only for the cause of God, or to live to death with a marriage companion and take care of his family.

Let us remember that the disciples of Christ, having learned about SUCH a duty of a husband to his wife, very strangely drooped: for the marriages of this age, when unions in matrimony can be both accidental and thoughtless, living to death with a random companion is harder than not marrying at all. This conclusion was reached by the disciples of Christ - Matt. 19:10.
But, it is clear that every Christian has the right to draw his own conclusions and choose his own path.

7:11 if it gets divorced...
Expression " IF it gets divorced, then ....” shows that God (for Paul conveys the commands of God) still allows the idea of ​​cases of divorce in Christian families, despite the instructions of Christ.
Further indications for possible cases of divorce in Christianity - show that divorce itself is not considered by God as a mortal sin. Just divorced, if for some reason they could not stay together, they must adhere to further His instructions transmitted by Paul:

must remain celibate, or be reconciled to her husband, and the husband must not leave his wife [his]
Note: Christ spoke of the possible REPEATED marriage in the event of a divorce on the accusation of a marriage partner of adultery: adultery before the Lord frees a Christian from the law of marriage “one flesh” - with the guilty party and makes him free to remarry.

Here Paul speaks of a case of divorce, after which NO RIGHT TO REMARK. This means that the reason for the divorce in this case could be different, but not the betrayal of the marriage companion.
IN The choice of the one who divorced not because of the betrayal of the marriage companion, in fact, is small:
either remain alone until the end of their days, or return to their marriage companion, for in the eyes of God, those who are divorced, not because of treason, still remain one flesh, and therefore can be reconciled. Unless, of course, someone eventually remarries, thereby committing adultery.
Corinth should have understood that Christians have an obligation to take marriage seriously and exclude fornication from their lifestyle.

7:12,13 To others I say, and not the Lord:
So it is clear that Paul's advice is not contrary to the requirements of God and is given to the congregation in accordance with the spirit of God.

if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, then he must not leave her; and a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and he agrees to live with her, must not leave him.
Jesus did not leave instructions for all occasions of the Christian life. For example, many of those called in Corinth could already have families, but, for example, only one of the spouses accepted Christ, the second remained an unbeliever. What should a Christian do in this case?

One thing is clear: a believing spouse should not initiate a divorce if the unbelieving spouse wishes to save the marriage.
Paul did not describe, unfortunately, cases when, for example, an unbelieving spouse lives as a parasite, drinks or a drug addict, physically and morally offends a believing wife every day, plagues her with scandals and provokes her to sin, but at the same time he WISHES to save the marriage.

In such cases, we think that a Christian can take into account 1 Corinthians 7:11.

7:14,16 an unbelieving husband is sanctified... by a believing wife.. children... are holy. Some Christian denominations teach that it is enough for at least one believer to appear in the family - and the whole family automatically falls into the category of saints accepted by God, because in Israel, for example, according to the tradition of the Old Testament, the whole family as a whole was considered to have made a covenant with God.
Yes, this was the case in Israel, but in the family of an Israelite there were no non-believers in the God of Israel. Therefore, this analogy is incorrect.

Since Christ said that I did not come to bring peace, but a sword ”, dividing the family into those who accepted Christ and those who did not accept him, which means that none of the members of any family will automatically become a saint pleasing to God.

What is Paul talking about here?
If Paul were talking here about becoming holy—literally, just by having a believing family member, then there would be no need for an unbelieving husband or wife or children to strive for holiness themselves.
And why should they strive for this, if it would be ENOUGH in the family of one believer?
Alas, this is not so. God has the principle of personal responsibility for one's own salvation and the holiness of nepotism:

13 son of man! if any land sinned against me, and I stretched out my hand on it, and destroyed the grain support in it, and sent famine on it, and began to destroy people and livestock on it; and if these three men were found in her: Noah, Daniel and Job, - then by their righteousness they would save only THEIR souls, says the Lord God...these are the three men in her midst, I live, says the Lord God, neither sons nor daughters would be saved, but they would only be saved - Ezek. 14:13-21.

The same principle is found in Romans 14:12:
AND so, each of us will give an account to God FOR HIMSELF.

Based on this, the conclusion is:
rather, Paul is talking about the fact that if there is at least one believer in the family, then all the rest fall under the influence or influence of God's spirit on the part of the believer, since he himself applies the principles of God in life and is under the influence of the holy spirit.
Thanks to this, every believer in the family has a chance to turn the whole family to God and win it for God by their God-fearing behavior and the strength of their faith, as it is written here:

How do you know, wife, if you can save your husband? Or you, husband, why do you know if you can save your wife? (7:16)
That is, each of the believing members of the family, if he himself behaves in a Christian way, can ask himself: will he not turn an unbeliever to God? Will not a positive example encourage him - want to become a saintand an unbelieving spouse?

7:15 If the unbeliever [wants] to get divorced, let him get divorced; brother or sister in such [cases] are not related; The Lord has called us to peace.
If an unbelieving spouse insists on a divorce, there is no point in trying to keep him by force or by some other means.

7:16 See 7:14.

7:17 Only do each one as God has determined for him, and each as the Lord has called. So I command all the churches.
It makes no difference in what circumstances, in what physical, social or civil state a person decides to become a Christian.

7:18,19 If anyone who is circumcised is called, do not hide yourself; If anyone is called uncircumcised, do not be circumcised.
What matters to God is what each individual does in the age in which he is called.
For example, the commandment of God in the OT was circumcision - it served as a sign of the covenant between the descendants of Abraham and Jehovah that God would bless and multiply the seed of Abraham and give him the land of Canaan as an inheritance (Genesis 17:4-8)
For Christians in the NT era, the commandment of Jehovah became important spiritual circumcision, which was done on the heart. They had to circumcise the foreskin of their heart. (Rom 2:28,29).
At the time of the call by Christ, the confession previously professed does not matter to God: both a Jew and a Gentile can equally become Christians; it does not matter to God whether the one who accepts Christ is circumcised or not. It is important for him that those who are called to the path of Christ do His will and act according to His commandments.

Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but [all] in keeping the commandments of God.
In obedience to God, both circumcision and non-circumcision are powerless to help, because fidelity to God depends not on the appearance and state of the integrity of the parts of the human body, but on the personality of a Christian and his inner convictions, on the integrity of nature and spiritual heart in striving to become God's man.

7:20, 21 Everyone stay in the rank in which you are called. Are you called a slave don't be embarrassed
The Christian path does not imply the creation of any special "hothouse" or comfortable conditions.

The apostle does not want Christians to be disturbed or embarrassed by their position, which cannot be changed by God's methods. Dissatisfaction and complaints, as well as the desire to get rid of tight circumstances by one’s own and unrighteous methods under the pretext of a greater opportunity to serve God, testify to distrust of God, and this is not good for a Christian.

but if you can become free, then use the best.
However, this does not mean that Christians should not even try to improve their situation and lighten the burden of the burdens of this age (not about lightening the cross of Christ).
If an opportunity arises in life to alleviate one's life circumstances, then it is right to use it: inaction with the opportunity to act is the same as artificially creating difficulties for oneself.

Let's stop a little: Christians are advised to make life easier for themselves, IF POSSIBLE -on the example of a slave.
Every Christian is to some extent a slave to his life circumstances. The very circumstances of being enslaved by something do not interfere with living a Christian life, but, of course, they severely limit the possibility of doing something for God.
Therefore, if a slave has the opportunity to free himself from slavery GOD'S METHODS (if they let him go, for example, or drive him away because he refuses to steal or kill at the request of the owner, for example, refuses, ransoms him, abolishes slavery or otherwise without violating God's principles) - then it is better for the slave to take the opportunity to be freed.

Let us recall the example of a Jew who was enslaved by the need to inspect his father to death:
Jesus invited him to follow him and freed him from the bondage of the morality of this world and the law of Moses:
God! let me first go and bury my father.
But Jesus said to him: Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead. (Matt. 8:21,22)

To many readers, this example seems monstrous. However, the advantage of becoming a disciple of Christ and fulfilling the will of God - turned out to be more important for the invited Jew than the usual household and economic pastime in the family - IN THE CASE WHEN there was WHO to look after his father:
spiritually dead relatives, who are not interested in the word of God and the way of Christ, may well take care of the father of the one whom Jesus called after him.
At the same time, it does not matter what they will think about their son, who preferred Christ's discipleship to caring for his own father.

The opportunity for a Christian to be freed from the burdens of this world for the sake of the path of Christ (not for the sake of his own whim) is also shown in these words of Christ:

Jesus answered and said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who will leave home, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for the sake of Me and the gospel,
30 And I would not have received now, in this time, in the midst of persecution, a hundred times more houses, and brothers and sisters, and fathers, and mothers, and children, and lands, but in the age to come, eternal life. (Mark 10:29,30)
It seems strange that the house and lands are on a par with relatives and friends, even if they are opponents of the Gospel (it is about those who oppose the path of Christ - we are talking about everything that interferes with the fulfillment of the sacred service): still, for example, leave children - is not the same as, say, throwing the ground.
However, here, too, Jesus does not mean to simply abandon families for the sake of the GOSPEL. It is unacceptable for a Christian, under the pretext of the need for the gospel, for example, to take and leave the family, ceasing to provide them with the most necessary things.

If a Christian decides to leave the entire list of Christs - FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL, then he will certainly FIRST do everything in his power to somehow arrange spiritually dead relatives who are not able to take care of themselves on their own.
The questions of one's liberation from enslavement by the burdens of this age, for example, “to leave or not to leave; what, whom, how and in what quantity to leave; literally or not; whom to prefer to whom and how much to do for the cause of God?” - A Christian must decide for himself according to his own conscience and in accordance with the principles of God.

7: 22 For the servant called in the Lord is the Lord's free man; likewise, he who is called free is the servant of Christ.
The concept of freedom and slavery is relative: a slave of circumstances is nevertheless free to act like a Christian in his circumstances, which means that he is free from the point of view of God and Christ.

And a free, for example, citizen of any country - if he is a Christian, then he is a slave of God and His Christ, for he strives exactly to fulfill the will of his Lords.
So, even a slave of his circumstances, even if he has found the opportunity to free himself from them, a Christian is always free to act according to the will of the Lord and follow Christ in what he has the opportunity to follow.
It is clear that in the state of "bondage" - there are few opportunities to do something for the Lord, and this is often distressing, but at least to do the right thing and according to the principles of God - even the most forced slave always has the opportunity.

7: 23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
Since God paid a high price for all Christians with the blood of His Christ, He hopes that Christians will act as they were bought by God, reverently relating to such a sacrifice, obeying Him as their only Master and Master.
A Christian does not have the right to become slaves of people, and no matter what moral "value" - bosses, fathers, mothers, brothers, wives, children - and fulfill their will, which is not similar to the will of the Lord. And if he considers that he has, he will cease to be a Christian, but will become a primitive man-pleaser.

7:24 In what [rank] one is called, brethren, in that everyone and remain before God.
For God, neither position, nor position in society, nor religion, nor gender, nor age matters at the moment of calling by the Lord, but only the desire of the one who is called to serve Him all the days of his life matters. Any person can respond to the word of God preached by His servants, both unbelieving and believing in other gods, both a man and a woman, both a leader and a subordinate, both young and old.

7:25 Concerning virginity, I do not have the command of the Lord, but I give advice, as one who has received from the Lord the grace to be faithful [to Him].
Paul makes it clear that his advice, which he is ready to give, is not a categorical instruction regarding the moral choice between good and evil for a Christian: whether you marry or not, you will not sin and do no evil. But his advice is only a recommendation, not contrary to the will of God, referring to the specific situation of the Corinthian assembly, in which, as already mentioned, extreme "left" and extreme "right" views on sexual relations flourished: either complete abstinence and the preservation of virginity, or extreme debauchery of morals.

7:26 In real need, I acknowledge for the best that it is good for a person to remain like this. Paul says this from the position of a wanderer and a stranger who has decided to devote his entire life to God without a trace. Whoever wants to achieve the best option in serving God can follow Paul's advice, for an unmarried person, firstly, is not bound by care and worries about his spouse and is not afraid that he will subject her to persecution with his activities. And, secondly, he will not worry about what will happen to her and the children if something happens to him. An unmarried Christian is freer both in thought and action.

7:27 Are you connected to your wife? don't seek divorce. Did he leave without a wife? don't look for a wife
If a Christian already has a family at the time of his calling, then there is no need for him to look for reasons for a divorce: he will have to do for the Lord what he is able to do for Him in his personal circumstances.
If you don’t have a family yet, then it’s better not to have one.

It would be folly to seek to change circumstances by means other than God's, which may bring a stain on the church of God and blacken God's name. For example - to strive to get a divorce not because of adultery, but in order to devote more time to serving God. God will not accept such a sacrifice, since taking care of the household, if they already exist at the time of the call, is also the fulfillment of the will of God (1 Tim. 5: 8).

Or if a Christian divorced his wife because of adultery, or maybe the wife died, then he should not devote the rest of his life to finding a new wife, turning it into an end in itself.

7:28 However, even if you marry, you will not sin; and if a girl marries, she will not sin. But such will have afflictions according to the flesh; and I feel sorry for you.
Marriage and marriage are not something wrong for a Christian, God does not require complete abstinence, as the extreme "right" in the Corinthian congregation believed.

It's just that everyone who plans to start a family should do it without rose-colored glasses: for married couples, sorrows according to the flesh (difficulties associated with family responsibilities) are inevitable in this century.

If a Christian is ready to bear the burden of responsibility not only for himself personally before the Lord, but also for the whole family - please get married. But Paul is ALWAYS sorry for everyone who chooses marriage, for he had the opportunity to observe family and how difficult it is to please God, if necessary, also to please the family in what it may need.

7:29-31 the time is already short, so that those who have wives must be as those who have not;
Paul makes another argument for the urgency and superiority of choosing to serve God and do His work over all other kinds of choices:
As the day of reckoning for the whole Earth approaches, a Christian must submit himself entirely to the path of Christ as if he had nothing else at all - regardless of his “possession” and acquisitions.

If a Christian has a wife, she should not be an obstacle to him in doing the work of God (it's great if she is an assistant in this), if he bought something or he has a reason for joy / crying - and this should not slow him down in serving the Lord:
and weeping as if not weeping; and those who rejoice, as those who do not rejoice; and those who buy, as not acquiring;

If, for example, when I’m leaving on a business trip, I want to catch my train, then I’ll write down all the hours left before the train by seconds and won’t let anyone or anything distract me so much that I forget about the train or miss it.
The same is true with the rush to the “train” leaving for the new world order of God: no worries of this age should take us more time than it is necessary to provide the necessary minimum of life.

For the image of this world passes : the “train” to the world order of God is already on the right “platform” and at the appointed time it will take away everyone who can get to it in time - away from this wicked and disorderly age.

So, Christians, hurry up, it's better to catch the "train" of God than to get stuck in the wilds of everyday life and the blockages of the same problems that the whole wicked world chose to live in worries about satisfying their personal lusts.

A minimum of investment in personal arrangements and opportunism, and a maximum in the cause of God: such was Paul's attitude, which he showed to the Christians of Corinth as a personal example with his almost ascetic lifestyle.
The path of self-denial - the path of Christ - is the best that Paul could offer Christians not only in Corinth, but also to you and me.

7:32 And I want you to be without worries. The unmarried cares about the Lord's things, how to please the Lord;
Paul regarded the creation of a family as unnecessary worries that complicate the life of a Christian, for the time and effort that could be given to please God - a family Christian will give to solving family problems.

7:33 but a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife.
Interestingly, Paul refers to a Christian's concern for pleasing his wife as worldly.
That is, a Christian, wanting to satisfy all the needs of his wife - it turns out that he cares about worldly things. In what sense, if the presence of a wife for a man was provided by God?
In the sense that the whole world no longer knows any other worries than how to marry, play with wives, equip a nest for them, feast on their attention and beauty, and fulfill their whims, for many husbands of this age, starting with Adam, like to please their wives. .
So, if a Christian is mired in the desire to satisfy all the whims of his wife in general to the detriment of God, he will not differ in anything from a worldly husband, and a Christian should not be a worldly husband.

To be a Christian husband is approximately like Akila - Priscilla: a wife - as a companion and assistant in serving the Lord and fulfilling the work of the Gospel, taking into account moving around many cities, lack of comfort, plenty of bread, and sometimes even overnight.

You can see how much more God is safer than a wife for a Christian: if you stop pleasing Him, then He will not immediately find a pestilence, or illness, or create problems. “Well, if you don’t want to, don’t, live as you want and as you can, while you still have the opportunity to live on My land”
And if you stop pleasing your wife, she will immediately do everything possible to turn the life of a Christian into a nightmare.

7:34 There is a difference between a married woman and a virgin: an unmarried woman cares about the Lord's things, how to please the Lord, in order to be holy both in body and spirit; but the married woman takes care of the things of the world, how to please her husband.
The same applies to marriage. With only one difference: it is much more difficult for a Christian wife to participate in the work of God compared to a Christian husband, because the wife is obliged to obey her husband and escape from his prohibitions if, for example, he is actively unbelieving, she is on the verge of the impossible.
A Christian husband, on the other hand, has the opportunity to please God even in the presence of a capricious and harmful wife: he has no obligation to obey his wife.

7:35 I say this for your own benefit, not to put chains on you, but so that you will [serve] the Lord decently and unceasingly without distraction.
Paul said all this in Corinth and to us - with you for edification - not to make life difficult for the congregation, but to make it easier.
Although, it is clear that not everyone could perceive the wish of a bachelor life from Pavel - as a sincere wish for them well.
A free and lonely Christian has much more opportunities to carry out the commissions of Christ without being distracted by that fuss, which not only does not bring closer to God and does not make a Christian better, but can also move away from God irrevocably, as, for example, Solomon's fuss about all his beautiful wives made him a stranger to God.

7:36 If anyone considers it indecent for his maiden that she, being in adulthood, should remain so, let him do as he wants: he will not sin; let [those] marry.
Some fathers of the daughters of Corinth, due to the inertia of worldly thinking, believed that if no one marries their daughter and she stays long in old maids, it means that she has some kind of serious defect or something of that kind, discrediting the whole family. It was useless to exhort such fathers of the advantages of a bachelor's life for their daughters.

7:37 But he who is unshakably firm in his heart and, not being constrained by need, but being powerful in his will, has decided in his heart to keep his virgin, he does well.
Those fathers who did not want their daughter the fate of this world (get married and have family problems) they should not strive at all costs to marry their daughter just so that people don’t think anything bad about him and his family: people’s opinion in such matters can be neglected.
Here Paul shows that the refusal to start a family can be voluntary and not because of a difficult financial situation that does not allow supporting a family. And if you want to take a vow of celibacy - for the sake of serving God.

7:38 Therefore, he who marries his maiden does well; but the one who does not give out does better.
This does not mean that those who did not marry their daughters had a reason to rise above those who did not marry them. For God, neither gender, nor age, nor marital status, nor citizenship, nor social status matters - NOTHING matters, except for the ACTIONS of a Christian according to God's principles.

“Doing better” in this case means “doing better” not in the eyes of God, but for oneself personally, since with unmarried daughters - a Christian father has fewer problems and more opportunities to devote himself to serving God.

7:39 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; if her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wants, only in the Lord.
Marriage, remember, is not a temporary or experimental community of husband and wife, but for life, until death, one of the spouses. Only in the event of the death of the husband (wife) can one think about remarrying if the need arises.

If, nevertheless, remarriage is necessary for some reason, or if it turns out to be preferable for a Christian to loneliness, then a spouse should be selected from among his fellow believers: in the Lord.

It should be unnatural for Christians to seek a life partner for themselves - in a worldly environment. However, oddly enough, some Christians still do not consider it important whether their marriage partner will be from the world or from fellow believers, and this is sad: what can light have in common with darkness, or a believer with an unbeliever?
If there is nothing in common, or if only, for example, the marriage bed unites, then such a marriage will be even more problematic for a Christian. There is a high probability that sooner or later it will fall apart and “destroy”, besides, also the spirituality of a Christian.

Here is what Barkley writes about intermarriage, for example:
P Abel establishes one condition: "only in the Lord." That is, it must be a marriage between Christians. Mixed marriages are rarely successful. A long time ago Plutarch said that "marriage cannot be happy if the spouses do not profess the same religion." The highest love comes when a married couple loves each other and their love is sanctified by a common love for Christ. For then they not only live together, but also pray together. Their life and love unite and become an ongoing act of worship to God..

We agree with him on this issue.

7:40 But she is happier if she remains so, according to my advice;
And yet, Paul, wishing well to his fellow believers, advises them not to rush to bind themselves in marriage either for the first time or again.

I think I also have the spirit of God - Paul does not doubt that he has a holy spirit and that his advice is in agreement with the will of God. He simply emphasizes that his advice is in fact not Paul's own invention - a man, but is consistent with the spirit of God and comes from Paul - an apostle, anointed and servant of God.

Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh, in one of his best conversations, said this about love and marriage:

« Love is an amazing feeling, but it is not only a feeling, it is a state of the whole being. Love begins at the moment when I see a person in front of me and see through his depths, when suddenly I see his essence. Of course, when I say, “I see,” I don’t mean to say, “I perceive with my mind” or “I see with my eyes,” but “I perceive with my whole being.” If I can give a comparison, then I also comprehend beauty, for example, the beauty of music, the beauty of nature, the beauty of a work of art, when I stand in front of him in amazement, in silence, only perceiving what is in front of me, not being able to express it in any way. word, except as an exclamation: “My God! How beautiful it is!..” The secret of love for a person begins at the moment when we look at him without the desire to possess him, without the desire to rule over him, without the desire to use his gifts or his personality in any way, only we look and marvel at the beauty that has been revealed to us.

Related material

We hear the word "love" all the time these days. Some people call this concept bodily intimacy, others - ardent passion, but for Christians it is important to know what the apostles said about love, and how much their understanding of this virtue differs from the current one.

Such a deep understanding of love, relationships between people, of course, is in tune with what the apostles wrote about marriage.

In the writings of the apostle Paul, one can find the idea that marriage is just a cure for fornication:

So, I desire that young widows marry, bear children, rule the house, and give no occasion for slander to the enemy;(1 Tim. 5:14)

Here it is necessary to say a few words about the mores of the Roman Empire in the time of Octavian Augustus and later emperors. A woman in ancient Rome was more free than the Greeks. She had the right to dispose of her property, marry and receive an inheritance. But the morals were quite free. Intimate relationships were very common. Therefore, the apostle Paul encourages young widows to enter into a second marriage. Firstly, in order to have protection from the husband, and secondly, so as not to fall into a strong temptation and not to tempt others.

The peculiarities of Roman society can also explain another famous quote from this apostle:

To the rest, I say, and not the Lord: if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, then he should not leave her;

and a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and he agrees to live with her, must not leave him.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

If the unbeliever wants to get divorced, let him get divorced; brother or sister in such cases are not related; The Lord has called us to peace.(1 Corinthians 7:12-15)

Christians in the Roman Empire lived among people who were not followers of the new religion, so this command resolved the problems of those people who were married before converting to Christ (a problem that sometimes arises today).

If we turn to the moral aspects, the apostles spoke of marriage as an absolute value. Divorce is unacceptable, and only in the case of adultery, when the marriage has exhausted itself in an objective way, the spouse can leave the one who cheated on him, but never again marry or marry a second time. In a normal situation, a person should live his whole life with one wife or husband.

The passage from the Epistle to the Ephesians, which is read during the Sacrament of the Wedding, speaks of the meaning of marriage from a completely different perspective - not utilitarian or practical. This passage speaks of the mystical meaning of marriage and raises it to a height that seems to be beyond the reach of man:

Thus ought husbands to love their wives as their bodies: he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and warms it, just as the Lord does the Church, because we are members of His body, from His flesh and from His bones. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church. So let each of you love his wife as himself; but let the wife be afraid of her husband.(Eph. 5:28-33)

Here the image of the marriage of a man and a woman becomes the unity of Christ and the Church. The apostle directly commands a man to love his wife, as Christ loved the Church. The measure of this love is well known to us from the Gospel - it is the readiness to give one's life for one's family at any moment.

The last line about the need to be afraid of your husband often raises questions. This, of course, is not about fear of force or punishment, but about the fear of offending the closest person, upsetting him.

The apostle does not give any practical advice or rules for family life. There is only one theme of family life, which is associated with a clear formal rule. The only rule of family life given in the Holy Scriptures is related to bodily intimacy between spouses. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that the husband's body no longer belongs to him, but to his wife, and vice versa. Therefore, spouses should keep themselves for each other and at the same time not deny each other physical intimacy without mutual consent:

Husband show his wife due favor; like a wife to her husband. The wife has no power over her body, but the husband; likewise, the husband has no power over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deviate from each other, except by agreement, for a time, for the exercise in fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your intemperance.(1 Corinthians 7:3-5)

It was Christians from the very beginning of the existence of the Church that have always defended the beauty, value and significance of marriage in human life. The early Christian apologist Tertullian, a 2nd-century author, speaks of the importance of marriage in the life of a Christian in his “Epistle to the Wife” :

“How to depict the happiness of marriage, which the Church herself enters into, which prayer confirms, seals the blessing, announces the Angels and finally confirms the Father. How pleasant is the yoke of two hearts united by one hope, one doctrine, one law. They are like children of one Father, like servants of one Lord; there is no discord between them, either in soul or in body. They are two in one flesh. Where there is one flesh, there is one spirit. They pray together, kneel together, fast together, mutually instruct and admonish each other. Together they are present in the church and at the Lord's table, endure persecution together, and enjoy peace together. They do not hide anything from each other, they are not a burden to one another. They freely visit the sick, give alms without hesitation, stand in prayer meetings without entertainment; together they sing psalms and hymns and mutually excite each other to the glorification of the Lord.

Read about the Christian attitude to marriage in the section

Comments on Chapter 7

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS

THE GREAT CORINTH

One glance at the map shows that Corinth was destined for an important place. Southern Greece is almost an island. In the west, the Gulf of Corinth goes deep into the land, and in the east it borders on the Gulf of Sardonic. And now, on this narrow isthmus, between two bays, stands the city of Corinth. This position of the city inevitably led to the fact that Corinth became one of the greatest trading and commercial centers of the ancient world. All communications from Athens and northern Greece to Sparta and the Peloponnesian peninsula passed through Corinth.

Corinth was not only the route of communication between southern and northern Greece, but most of the trade routes from the western Mediterranean to the east. The extreme southern point of Greece was known as Cape Malea (now Cape Matapan). It was a dangerous cape, and "go around Cape Malea" in those days sounded the same as later sounded "go around Cape Horn". The Greeks had two sayings that clearly show their opinion on this: "Let him who swims around Malea forget his home", and "Let him who swims around Malea first make his will."

As a result, sailors chose one of two paths. They went up the Sardonian Gulf and, if their ships were small enough, dragged them across the isthmus and then lowered them into the Gulf of Corinth. The isthmus was called Diolkos - the place through which they drag. If the ship was too large, then the cargo was unloaded, carried by porters across the isthmus to another ship, standing on the other side of the isthmus. These seven kilometers across the isthmus, where the Corinth Canal now passes, shortened the route by 325 km, and eliminated the dangers of traveling around Cape Malea.

It is clear what a major commercial center Corinth was. Communication between southern and northern Greece passed through it. Communication between the eastern and western Mediterranean, even more intensive, was most often carried out through the isthmus. There were three more cities around Corinth: Leheule - off the west coast, Kenchreya - on the east coast, and Scoenus - a short distance from Corinth. Farrar writes: "Luxuries soon appeared in the markets visited by all the peoples of the civilized world - Arabic balsam, Phoenician dates, ivory from Libya, Babylonian carpets, goat's down from Cilicia, wool from Laconia, slaves from Phrygia."

Corinth, as Farrar put it, was the vanity fair of the ancient world. People called it the Greek Bridge, it was also called the Hot Spot of Greece. Someone once said that if a person stands for quite a long time in Piccadilly in London, then he can, in the end, see every inhabitant of the country. Corinth was the Piccadilly of the Mediterranean. In addition to this, the Isthmian Games were also held there, which were second in popularity only to the Olympic Games. Corinth was a wealthy populous city, one of the largest trading centers of the ancient world.

THE DEPEAT OF CORINTH

Corinth gained general fame for its commercial prosperity, but it also became the epitome of immoral life. The very word "corinthian", that is, to live in Corinthian, entered the Greek language and meant to lead a drunken and depraved life. This word entered the English language, and during the time of the Regency, the Corinthians were called young people who led a wild and reckless lifestyle. The Greek writer Elian says that if a Corinthian ever appeared on stage in a Greek drama, he must have been drunk. The very name Corinth was synonymous with revelry. The city was a source of evil known throughout the civilized world. The Acropolis hill towered above the isthmus, and on it stood a large temple of the goddess Aphrodite. A thousand priestesses of the goddess Aphrodite lived at the temple, priestesses of love, sacred prostitutes who descended from the Acropolis in the evenings and offered themselves to everyone for money on the streets of Corinth, until the Greeks had a new saying: "Not every man can afford to go to Corinth." In addition to these gross sins, even more refined vices flourished in Corinth, which were brought with them by merchants and sailors from all over the known world at that time. And so Corinth became not only a synonym for wealth and luxury, drunkenness and intemperance, but also a synonym for abomination and debauchery.

HISTORY OF CORINTH

The history of Corinth is divided into two periods. Corinth is an ancient city. Thucydides, an ancient Greek historian, claims that the first triremes, Greek warships, were built in Corinth. According to legend, the ship of the Argonauts was also built in Corinth. Argo. But in 235 BC, tragedy struck Corinth. Rome was busy conquering the world. When the Romans tried to conquer Greece, Corinth led the resistance. But the Greeks could not stand against the disciplined and well-organized Roman army, and in the same year, General Lucius Mumius captured Corinth and turned it into a heap of ruins.

But a place with such a geographical position could not be empty forever. Almost exactly one hundred years after the destruction of Corinth, in 35 BC, Julius Caesar rebuilt it from the ruins, and Corinth became a Roman colony. Moreover, it became the capital, the center of the Roman province of Achaia, which included almost all of Greece.

During the time of the Apostle Paul, the population of Corinth was very diverse.

1) Veterans of the Roman army lived in it, who were settled here by Julius Caesar. After serving his term, the soldier received Roman citizenship, after which he was sent to some new city, they gave him a plot of land, so that he settled there. Such Roman colonies were arranged all over the world, and the main backbone of the population in them were veterans of the regular Roman army, who received Roman citizenship for their faithful service.

2) As soon as Corinth was reborn, merchants returned to the city, since its excellent geographical position gave it significant advantages.

3) There were many Jews among the population of Corinth. In the newly built city, excellent commercial prospects opened up, and they were eager to take advantage of them.

4) Small groups of Phoenicians, Phrygians and peoples from the east also lived there, with strange and historical manners. Farrar puts it this way: "This is a mixed and heterogeneous population, consisting of Greek adventurers and Roman townspeople, with a corrupting admixture of Phoenicians. There lived a mass of Jews, retired soldiers, philosophers, merchants, sailors, freedmen, slaves, artisans, merchants, brokers" . He characterizes Corinth as a colony without aristocracy, traditions and authoritative citizens.

And now, knowing that the past of Corinth and its very name were synonymous with wealth and luxury, drunkenness, debauchery and vice, we read 1 Cor. 6,9-10:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor malakias, nor sodomists,

Neither thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor predators - will inherit the Kingdom of God.

In this hotbed of vice, in the most seemingly unsuitable city in all of Greece, Paul performed one of his greatest deeds, and in it one of the greatest victories of Christianity was won.

PAUL IN CORINTH

Apart from Ephesus, Paul stayed in Corinth longer than in any other city. With danger to his life, he left Macedonia and moved to Athens. Here he did not achieve much, and therefore he went on to Corinth, where he remained for eighteen months. It will become clearer to us how little we know about his work when we learn that all the events of these eighteen months are summarized in 17 verses. (Acts. 18,1-17).

Upon arrival in Corinth, Paul settled with Aquila and Priscilla. He preached with great success in the synagogue. After the arrival of Timothy and Silas from Macedonia, Paul redoubled his efforts, but the Jews were so hostile and implacable that he had to leave the synagogue. He moved to Justus, who lived next to the synagogue. The most famous of his converts to the faith of Christ was Crispus, the head of the synagogue; and among the people Paul's preaching was also a great success.

In 52, a new governor arrived in Corinth, the Roman Gallio, known for his charm and nobility. The Jews tried to take advantage of his ignorance and kindness and brought Paul to his trial, accusing him of "teaching people to honor God not according to the law." But Gallio, in accordance with the impartiality of Roman justice, refused to examine their accusation and took no action. Therefore, Paul was able to complete his work here and then went to Syria.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH CORINTH

While in Ephesus, Paul learned in 55 that all was not well in Corinth, and so he wrote to the church community there. It is likely that Paul's Corinthian correspondence, which we have, is incomplete and that its layout is broken. It must be remembered that it was not until the year 90 or so that the letters and epistles of Paul were first collected. It seems that they were available in various church communities only on pieces of papyrus and, therefore, it was difficult to collect them. When the letters to the Corinthians were collected, they apparently were not all found, they were not collected completely, and they were not arranged in the original sequence. Let's try to imagine how it all happened.

1) There was a letter written before 1 Corinthians. IN 1 Cor. 5:9 Paul writes, "I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with fornicators." Obviously, this is an indication of a previously written letter. Some scholars believe that this letter has been lost without a trace. Others believe that it is contained in 2 Cor. 6.14-7.1. Indeed, this passage echoes the above theme. In the context of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, this passage is somehow not readable. If we go directly from 2 Cor. 6.13 ko 2 Cor. 7.2, we will see that the meaning and connection are perfectly preserved. Scholars call this passage "The Former Epistle." Initially, the epistles were not divided into chapters and verses. The division into chapters was undertaken no earlier than the thirteenth century, and the division into verses no earlier than the sixteenth. Therefore, the ordering of the collected letters presented great difficulties.

2) Various sources informed Paul that all was not well in Corinth. a) Such information came from Chloe's household ( 1 Cor. 1.11). They reported quarrels tearing apart the church community. b) This news reached Paul and with the arrival of Stephen, Fortunatus and Achaik in Ephesus ( 1 Cor. 16.17). Which personal contacts supplemented the present state of affairs. c) This information came with a letter in which the Corinthian community asked Paul for guidance on various issues. 1 Cor. 7.1 begins with the words "What did you write to me about..." In response to all these messages, Paul wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians and sent it to the Corinthian church with Timothy ( 1 Cor. 4,17).

3) This epistle caused, however, a further deterioration in relations among the members of the church, and although we do not have written information about this, we can conclude that Paul personally visited Corinth. In 2 Cor. 12:14 we read: "And behold, in third time I'm ready to go to you." 2 Cor. 13,1,2 he writes to them again that he will come to them the third time. Well, if there was a third visit, then there should have been a second. We know only about one, stated in Acts. 18:1-17. We have no record of Paul's second visit to Corinth, but he was only two or three days' sail from Ephesus.

4) This visit did not lead to anything good. Things only escalated, and eventually Paul wrote a stern letter. We learn about him from some passages in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. IN 2 Cor. 2:4 Paul writes: “Out of great sorrow and a troubled heart I wrote to you with many tears…” 2 Cor. 7:8 he writes: "Therefore, if I have saddened you with a message, I do not regret it, although I regretted it; for I see that the message saddened you, however, for a while." This letter, as a result of mental suffering, was so severe that he was saddened to send it.

Scholars call this message Strong message. Do we have it? Obviously, this is not 1 Corinthians, because it is not heartbreaking or painful. It is also evident that at the time of writing this epistle the situation was not hopeless. If, however, we now re-read the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, we will encounter a strange circumstance. From chapters 1-9 one can see a complete reconciliation, but from the 10th chapter there is a sharp change. Chapters 10-13 contain the most heartbreaking thing Paul ever wrote. They clearly show that he was hurt, that he was offended as never before or since. His appearance, his speech, his apostolate, his honor are attacked and criticized.

Most scholars believe that chapters 10-13 are the Stern Epistle, and that it fell into the wrong place when compiling the collection of Paul's epistles. If we want to have an accurate understanding of Paul's correspondence with the Corinthian church, we need to read first chapters 10-13 of the second epistle, and chapters 1-9 after them. We know that Paul sent the Strict Epistle to Corinth with Titus ( 2 Cor. 2, 13; 7,13).

5) Paul was concerned about everything related to this message. He couldn't wait for Titus to return with an answer, so he went to meet him. (2 Cor. 2.13; 7.5.13). He met him somewhere in Macedonia and learned that everything went well and, perhaps in Philippi, he wrote 2 Corinthians chapters 1-9, a letter of reconciliation.

Stalker said that Paul's epistles lifted the veil of obscurity from the early Christian communities, telling us what was going on within them. This statement best characterizes the letters to the Corinthians. Here we see what the words "care for all the churches" meant to Paul. We see both broken hearts and joys here. We see Paul, the shepherd of his flock, taking their worries and sorrows to heart.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH CORINTH

Before proceeding to a detailed analysis of the epistles, let us compile a chronology of correspondence with the Corinthian community.

1) The previous message which, May be, is 2 Cor. 6,4-7,1.

2) The arrival of the household members of Chloe, Stephen, Fortunatus and Achaik and Paul receiving the message of the Corinthian church.

3) In response to all this, the First Epistle to the Corinthians is written. and sent with Timothy to Corinth.

4) The situation worsens even more, and Paul personally visits Corinth. This visit is unsuccessful. It crushed his heart heavily.

5) As a result of this, Paul writes the Stern Epistle, which, probably. composes chapters 10-13 of 2 Corinthians , and was forwarded with Titus.

6) Unable to bear waiting for an answer, Paul sets off to meet Titus. He meets him in Macedonia, learns that everything was formed and, perhaps, in Philippi he writes chapters 1-9 of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: A message of reconciliation.

In the first four chapters of the First Epistle to the Corinthians deals with the issue of divergence in God's church in Corinth. Instead of being united in Christ, it was split into sects and parties identifying themselves with various Christian leaders and teachers. It was Paul's teaching that caused this schism, because the Corinthians thought too much about the wisdom and knowledge of man and too little about the pure mercy of God. In reality, despite all their supposed wisdom, they were still in an immature state. They thought they were wise, but in reality they were no better than children.

COMPLETE ASCETISM (1 Cor. 7:1-2)

We have already seen that the Hellenic way of thinking was dominated by a tendency to be contemptuous of the body and its functions. Such a tendency could lead to the attitude: "The human body does not matter. Therefore, we will let it do whatever it wants." But this same tendency could lead to an absolutely opposite attitude: "The body is evil, therefore we must subjugate or completely destroy it, and if this is not possible, we must abandon the instincts and desires inherent in its nature." Here Paul considers the second setting. The Corinthians, or at least some of them, assumed that a person who intended to become a Christian in the true sense of the word must renounce all the instincts and desires of the flesh and from marriage.

Paul's answer is very practical. He says, in effect, "Remember where you live; remember that you live in Corinth, where you can't even walk down the street without being tempted on all sides. Remember also your physical nature and its sound instincts." Better get married than you fall into sin."

It sounds like Paul doesn't think highly of marriage; as if he is advising Christians to marry to avoid a worse fate. In fact, he laid down a general rule: a person should not try to lead a life for which he is incapable by nature, he should not tread the path on which he will undoubtedly be surrounded by temptations. Paul was well aware that not all people are the same: "Examine yourself and choose the kind of life in which you can best live the life of a Christian, and do not try to apply unnatural standards of living to yourself that are impossible and even wrong for you."

MARRIAGE IS A UNION (1 Cor. 7:3-7)

Here is Paul's response to the suggestion contained in the Corinthian letter to Paul that married people who want to be true Christians should shy away from each other. This is another expression of the point of view mentioned above, according to which the human body, its instincts and desires, are essentially evil. Paul is setting forth a principle here of great importance. Marriage is the union of two people. A husband cannot act independently of his wife, just as a wife cannot act independently of her husband. They must act by mutual agreement. A husband should not consider his wife as a means to satisfy his desires. The whole complex of marital relations, both physical and spiritual, should give both physical pleasure and the highest satisfaction of all their desires. During special penances, during long and serious prayers, it is quite appropriate to avoid each other; but this should be done by mutual agreement and only for a time, otherwise it may lead to temptations and temptations.

Again, it seems that Paul is downplaying the importance of marriage. He declares that this is not an ideal indication, but only a reasonable concession to human weakness. Ideally, he would prefer that everyone be like him. What did Paul mean by this? We can only guess.

We can assume that at one time Paul was married. 1) Our assumption is based on general considerations. Paul was once a rabbi and claimed that he fulfilled all the requirements and obligations imposed by Jewish law and Jewish tradition. And the Orthodox Jewish faith imposed an obligation to marry. It was said about a man who did not marry and had no children that he "killed his offspring" - "belittled the image of God in the world." Paradise was closed to sinners who committed one of the seven sins, and this list began like this: "A Jew who has no wife, or has a wife but no children." God said, "Be fruitful and multiply." And therefore, not to marry and not have children meant to violate one of the commandments of God. Eighteen was considered the proper age for marriage, and therefore it is highly probable that a believing and Orthodox Jew such as Paul once was was married. 2) There are other reasons to believe that Paul was once married. He must have been a member of the Sanhedrin as he says he cast his vote against the Christians (Acts. 26.10). There was a rule that married men had to be members of the Sanhedrin, as it was believed that married men were more compassionate.

It is possible that Paul's wife died, but it is even more likely that she left him when he became a Christian, so that he really literally gave everything for Christ. Be that as it may, marriage and wife are not mentioned in his life, and he did not remarry. A married man could never lead the pilgrimage life that Paul lived. His desire for all others to be like him was based on his expectation of the Second Coming of Christ as soon as possible. Time, in his opinion, was so short that everything worldly and physical should be excluded from life. Paul is not at all dismissive of marriage, but at the same time he rather insists that people focus their attention and their thoughts on preparing for the Coming of Christ.

A BOND THAT SHOULD NOT BE BREAKED (1 Corinthians 7:8-16)

Here Paul is referring to three different groups of people:

1) unmarried and widowed. Paul thought that under the circumstances, when, in his opinion, the end of the world was near, it was better for these people not to tie the knot; but he again warns them not to expose themselves to dangerous temptations. If they are naturally sensual, it is better for them to marry. He was always aware that no one could establish the same rules of life for everyone. Much depends on the person himself.

2) married. Paul forbids divorce, stating that Jesus forbade it (Mar. 10,9; Onion. 16.18). If someone is still divorced, he is forbidden to remarry. This setting may seem harsh, but in Corinth, with its characteristic licentiousness, it was wiser to set such high standards so that this licentiousness did not penetrate into the church.

3) the marriage of Christians with pagans. In this matter, Paul cannot rely on the special commandment of Christ, and therefore he must decide it himself. It is suggested that this question arose because there were people in the Corinthian church who believed that a Christian could not live with a pagan, and that - if one of the spouses is baptized and Christian, and the other remains a pagan - they should be immediately divorced.

Indeed, one of the most common complaints of pagans in relation to Christianity was precisely that Christianity destroys families and has a destructive effect on society. "Decomposition of domestic relations" - this is one of the first accusations against Christians ( 1 Peter. 4,15).

Sometimes Christians did set very high standards. "Who are your parents?" the judge asked Lucian of Antioch. "I am a Christian," replied Lucian, "and the only relatives of a Christian are the saints."

Mixed marriages undoubtedly caused various difficulties. Tertullian wrote a book about them, in which he described a pagan husband angry with his wife because “for the sake of visiting her brothers, she went around the city, from street to street, visiting the houses of other men, especially the poor ... He does not want to let her disappear all night at night meetings and Easter festivities ... and will not tolerate her sneaking into prison to kiss the shackles of a martyr or even to exchange a kiss with one of the brothers. (In the era of early Christianity, Christians greeted each other with a holy kiss.) Indeed, it is not difficult to sympathize with a pagan husband.

Paul solves this problem in spirit of practical wisdom. He knew these difficulties and did not want to aggravate the situation. Therefore, he declares that if both spouses can lead a married life together, then their desire should be promoted by all means, but if they decide to separate and find life together unbearable, then let them divorce, because a Christian should never be a slave.

Paul makes two points that are of continuing value today.

1) It expresses the blessed thought that the unbelieving spouse is sanctified by the believing spouse. After all, they both became one flesh, and the miracle is that in this case it is not the vice of paganism that wins, but the mercy of Christianity. Christianity ennobles everything that comes into contact with it; and a child born in a Christian home, even if only one of the spouses is a Christian, is born into the family of Christ. What matters in the marriage union of a pagan and a Christian is not that the believer enters the environment of the domination of sin, but that the unbelieving pagan comes into contact with the halo of mercy.

2) He cherishes another equally blessed thought that such a union can serve as a way to the salvation of an unbelieving spouse. For Paul, preaching the gospel begins in the family. The unbelieving Gentile is not to be looked upon as an unclean person to be shunned, but as another son or daughter to be brought to Christ. Paul knew the holy truth that love for a person often leads to the path of love for God.

SERVE GOD WHERE HE CALLED US (1 Cor. 7:17-24)

Paul lays down one of the first rules of Christianity: "Be a Christian where you are." Apparently, it often happened that a person who became a Christian wanted to quit his job, leave his social environment, start a new life. But Paul insists that the task is not to give a person a new life, but to change his former life, to make it different. Let a Jew remain a Jew, a Gentile a Gentile; race and its characteristics do not matter. The lifestyle of a person matters. Once upon a time, the Cynics argued that a person cannot be a slave by nature, although he can be a slave by social status, while a deceitful person can never be a truly free person, but always remains a slave. Paul reminds them that whether they are slaves or freemen, they are the servants of Christ because Christ paid dearly for them.

A picture is being painted in Paul's mind. In the ancient world, a slave could, at the cost of great effort, buy himself off slavery and become free. In the little free time he had, he took on any job and earned a few coppers. His owner had the right to demand his share even from these meager earnings. But the slave set aside every penny he earned in the temple of some god. And so, perhaps, after many years, having collected the full purchase price in cash in the temple, he brought his master there, the priest gave this money to the master, and after that the slave symbolically became the property of God, and therefore free from the dependence of the master. This is what Paul is thinking about. The Christian has been bought by Christ; and therefore it makes no difference what his actual position is, he is free from all men, because he belongs to Christ.

Paul insists that Christianity does not unsettle a person in life and does not cause him constant dissatisfaction with reality. It instructs a person, wherever he is, to behave as a servant of Christ. Even the most insignificant work is now done not for people, but for Christ.

Verses 25-38, although they form one paragraph, fall into two parts, which are easier to consider separately.

Verses 25 and 36-38 deal with the problems of virginity in daughters, and between them verses 26-35 establish the counsel given throughout the chapter. But the passage concerning virgins has always been a problem. Three different interpretations of this passage have been given:

1) it was regarded simply as advice to fathers in the matter of the marriage of their unmarried daughters. It is difficult to understand why Paul in the original uses the word virgin, if he means daughter, and why he suggests that the father speak of "his virgin" when he means his daughter.

2) they also believed that it dealt with a problem that became very acute later, and which more than one Church Council unsuccessfully tried to consider. Of course, later it became the norm that a man and a woman lived together, in the same house, even sharing a bed with each other, although there was no physical relationship between them. The idea was that if they could so control themselves and so close spiritually and share this spiritual life with each other, completely excluding everything bodily from these relations, then this was considered highly commendable. We can understand the idea behind this: to cleanse human relationships of all passions, but we also understand how dangerous this practice was and what hopelessness it could lead to. A woman who maintained such a relationship with a man was called his virgin. It is possible that this custom was also practiced in the church in Corinth. If this was indeed the case, and we assume that it was, then Paul is saying in these verses: “If you can endure this difficult situation, if you have enough self-discipline and self-control to keep it going, then it is better to do so; but if you have tried to do it and find that this practice is an excessive strain on human nature, then leave this practice and get married. Such an act will not be reproached to you.

3) Although we think that the above interpretation of this passage is correct, there is a slightly different interpretation that we must mention. It is believed that there were also such men and women in Corinth who went through the ceremony of marriage, but did not realize it and decided to live in absolute abstinence in order to devote themselves entirely to the spiritual life. It is possible that, having taken such a step, they later realized that what they had planned imposed too much stress on them. In this case, Paul would have said, "If you can keep your vow, you will do eminently good; but if you cannot, confess it openly and enter into normal relations with each other."

To us, such relationships seem dangerous, unnatural, and even harmful; indeed they were, and in their time the church had to reject such a relationship. But in this situation, Paul's advice was wise. Paul is essentially talking about three principles:

1) Self-discipline is a great thing. Any path by which a man restrains himself and achieves complete control over his passions is an excellent path; but the eradication of natural instincts is not an integral part of the Christian doctrine: rather, on the contrary, Christians should glorify God with them.

2) In fact, Paul says, "Don't make something unnatural out of your religion." Ultimately, this is exactly what monks, hermits, hermits and nuns do. They find it necessary to banish normal human instincts and feelings in order to be truly religious, they even find it necessary to separate themselves from the normal lives of men and women in order to serve God. But Christianity has never intended to abolish normal human life; it has as its goal to surround it with the glorification of the Creator.

3) Paul concludes by saying, "Do not make your religion a misery." Knox tells how in his youth he found that religion puts pressure and tension on a person, and how one day a beloved priest came up to him and said: "Listen, young Knox, do not make religion a torment." It was said of Robert Burns that his faith "haunted him rather than helped him." Man should not be ashamed of the body given to him by God, the heart given to him by God, and the instincts that live in him. Christianity teaches a person not to uproot their lives, but to use them in such a way that passions are pure, and human love is the most noble creation of God.

THE TIME IS SHORT (1 Corinthians 7:26-35)

It is unfortunate that Paul did not begin the chapter with this passage, because in it he states the essence of his position. Throughout the chapter, we have been under the impression that Paul is somewhat belittling marriage. Again and again we have been of the opinion that Paul allows marriage only as a concession in order to avoid fornication and adultery, as if considering marriage as a lesser evil.

We have seen that the Jews glorified marriage and considered it their sacred duty. According to Jewish tradition, there could be only one important reason not to marry: the study of the law. Rabbi ben Azai asked: "Why should I marry? I am in love with the law. Let others take care of the continuation of the race." In the Greek world, Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher, did not marry. He said that he did much more for the world as a teacher than he himself would produce one or two "snub-nosed offspring" and continues: "Who can expect from a man whose task it is to teach mankind to run to bathe your child behind some kind of vessel for heating water? But this view was not shared by either Jews or Christians.

Nor did Paul, after all, have such an opinion. A few years later, in Ephesians, he presented a different view; there he uses the relationship between husband and wife as a symbolic illustration of the relationship between Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:22-26). At the time of writing the letter to the Corinthians, Paul's views were significantly influenced by the fact that he was waiting at any moment for the Second Coming of Christ. Therefore, he sets out here the norms of behavior in an era of crisis. "The image of this world is passing away." He believed in the coming of Christ so soon that, in his opinion, everything should be put aside in order to prepare for it in a grand effort. The most important activity or most precious human relationship should be abandoned if it threatens to disturb or weaken this concentration of effort. A man should not be bound by any bonds at the moment when Christ tells him to get up and go. He must think only of how to please Christ. If Paul could have thought that he and his new converts were living in lasting stability, he would not have written this. While writing Ephesians, Paul realized the stability of human life and viewed marriage as the most precious thing in human life, the only thing that could even remotely compare to the relationship between Christ and the Church. It is useful to remember that our home has two important functions: it is the place of the noblest opportunity to lead a Christian way of life. What a pity that in it we are often dissatisfied, critical and rude, and treat people who love us as we would never dare to treat a stranger. Home is also a place that gives us strength and peace to live as close to this world as possible.

In this chapter, Paul views marriage as the lesser of two evils because he believed that there were only a few days left to live. But the day came when he saw marriage as the best human relationship in the world.

Commentary on 1 Cor. 7.36-38 see section 1 Cor. 7.25.

SECOND MARRIAGE (1 Cor. 7:39-40)

Paul again takes a consistent position. Marriage commits to a relationship that only death can break. Remarriage is perfectly acceptable, but he would prefer that the widow remain a widow. We already know that Paul was speaking for an age of crisis, in anticipation of the speedy Second Coming of Christ, in which he believed people were living at that time.

The second marriage, from various points of view, is a replacement of the surviving spouse for the deceased. This shows that without a deceased spouse, the life of a spouse has become so lonely that it could no longer be supported. This means that the marriage was so happy that it can be entered into again without hesitation. Therefore, instead of being an act of disrespect to the deceased, a second marriage can be a badge of honor for the deceased spouse.

Paul establishes one condition: "only in the Lord." That is, it must be a marriage between Christians. Mixed marriages are rarely successful. A long time ago Plutarch said that "marriage cannot be happy if the spouses do not profess the same religion." The highest love comes when a married couple loves each other and their love is sanctified by a common love for Christ. For then they not only live together, but also pray together. Their life and love unite and become a continuous act of worship to God.

Commentary (introduction) to the entire book of 1 Corinthians

Comments on Chapter 7

A piece of church history like no other. Weiseker

Introduction

I. SPECIAL STATEMENT IN THE CANON

The first epistle to the Corinthians is a "book of problems" in the sense that Paul deals with the problems ("As for...") that faced the congregation in the evil city of Corinth. As such, the book is especially needed in today's troubled churches. Separation, hero-worship of leaders, immorality, disputes about the law, marriage problems, questionable practices, and prescriptions for spiritual gifts are all dealt with here. However, it would be wrong to think that the whole book is devoted to problems! In the same Epistle there is the most beautiful work about love, not only in the Bible, but in all world literature (ch. 13); wonderful teaching about the resurrection - both Christ's and ours (ch. 15); teachings about the sacrament (ch. 11); the commandment to take part in material donations. Without this Message, we would be much poorer. It is a treasure trove of practical Christian teaching.

All scholars agree that the First Epistle to the Corinthians we have named came from the pen of Paul. Some (mainly liberal) researchers believe that there are some "foreign inserts" in the letter, but these subjective assumptions are not supported by manuscript evidence. 1 Corinthians 5:9 seems to refer to a previous (non-canonical) letter from Paul that was misunderstood by the Corinthians.

External evidence in favor of 1 Corinthians very early. Clement of Rome (c. 95 AD) speaks of the book as "an epistle from the blessed apostle Paul." The book was also quoted by such early church authors as Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian. It is listed in the Muratorian canon and follows the Epistle to the Galatians in Marcion's heretical canon Apostolikon.

Internal evidence also very strong. Besides the fact that the author calls himself Paul in 1:1 and 16:21, his arguments in 1:12-17; 3:4.6.22 also prove Paul's authorship. Coincidences with Acts and other writings of Paul, and a strong spirit of sincere apostolic concern rule out forgery and make the arguments for the authenticity of his authorship more than sufficient.

III. WRITING TIME

Paul tells us that he is writing from Ephesus (16:8-9, cf. v. 19). Since he labored there for three years, it is likely that 1 Corinthians was written in the latter half of this long ministry, that is, sometime around A.D. 55 or 56. e. Some scholars date the Epistle even earlier.

IV. PURPOSE OF WRITING AND THEME

Ancient Corinth was (and is) in southern Greece, west of Athens. In the time of Paul, its location was advantageous: trade routes passed through the city. It became a major center of international trade, with a lot of transport coming to it. Since the religion of the people was perverted, the city soon became the center of the worst forms of immorality, so that the very name "Corinth" became the personification of everything impure and sensual. It had a reputation for being so lecherous that it even had a new verb "korinthiazomai", meaning "lead a vicious life".

The Apostle Paul first visited Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18). At first he, with Priscilla and Aquila, who, like him, made tents, worked among the Jews. But when the majority of the Jews rejected his preaching, he turned to the Corinthian pagans. Souls were saved by preaching the gospel, and a new church was formed.

About three years later, when Paul was preaching in Ephesus, he received a letter from Corinth reporting serious problems facing the community. The letter also asked various questions about the Christian life. In response to this letter, he wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians.

The theme of the Epistle is how to correct the worldly and carnal church, which is frivolous about those mindsets, mistakes and actions that so disturbed the apostle Paul. In Moffatt's apt phrase, "the church was in the world, as it should be, but the world was in the church, which should not be."

Because this situation is still not uncommon in some communities, the meaning of 1 Corinthians remains enduring.

Plan

I. INTRODUCTION (1:1-9)

A. Greeting (1.1-3)

B. Thanksgiving (1:4-9)

II. TROUBLES IN THE CHURCH (1.10 - 6.20)

A. Divisions among believers (1:10 - 4:21)

B. Immorality Among Believers (Ch. 5)

C. Litigation between believers (6:1-11)

D. Moral licentiousness among believers (6:12-20)

III. THE APOSTLE'S ANSWER TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHURCH (Ch. 7 - 14)

A. About marriage and celibacy (Ch. 7)

B. About food offered to idols (8:1 - 11:1)

C. About the Veil for Women (11:2-16)

D. Of the Lord's Supper (11:17-34)

E. About the Gifts of the Spirit and Their Use in the Church (Ch. 12-14)

IV. PAUL'S RESPONSE TO THE RESURRECTION DENIAL (Ch. 15)

A. Certainty of the Resurrection (15:1-34)

B. Refutation of the arguments against the resurrection (15:35-57)

C. Closing Appeal in the Light of the Resurrection (15:58)

V. FINAL INSTRUCTIONS (Ch. 16)

A. About fees (16:1-4)

B. About your personal plans (16:5-9)

C. Closing Instructions and Greetings (16:10-24)

III. THE APOSTLE'S ANSWER TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHURCH (Ch. 7 - 14)

A. About marriage and celibacy (ch. 7)

7,1 So far, Paul has been talking about various sins committed by the members of the Corinthian church, which he heard directly from the messages. Now he intends to answer the questions put to him by the Corinthian saints. The first of these is related to marriage and celibacy. Therefore, he first lays down the general principle that it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

"Touch a Woman" in this case means to have a physical relationship with her. Apostle Not means that celibacy is more holy than marriage; he simply says that if you want to fully devote yourself to the service of the Lord and not be distracted, then it is better not to get married. This is explained in more detail in the following verses.

7,2 However, Paul understands that celibacy entails incredible temptations to succumb to uncleanness. So he completes the first statement by saying: "But, in order to avoid fornication, each one should have his own wife, and each one should have her own husband." Command every husband to have his own wife implies monogamous marriage. Verse 2 contains the principle that the order that God has established for people continues to be what it has always been, namely, that a person should have only one spouse.

7,3 In marriage, everyone should favor to his partner in marital debt, because in it they are interdependent. When it says: "Husband show his wife due favor," it means: "Let him fulfill his obligations to her as a husband." Of course, and she must treat him like. Note the delicacy with which Paul treats such a subject. No rudeness, no vulgarity - what a difference from the world!

7,4 In marriage union wife depends on husband and vice versa. In order to carry out the God-given order in their holy union, both husband and wife must be aware of their interdependence.

7,5 Christenson writes:

"In plain language, this means that if one partner desires a sexual relationship, the other must respond to this desire. A husband and wife who accept this simplistic approach to sex will find wonderful satisfaction in this side of marriage - simply because the relationship is rooted in reality and not into some artificial or impossible ideal."(Larry Christenson, The Christian Family, p. 24.)

Perhaps some of the Corinthians, after conversion, began to think that the intimate side of marriage was incompatible with Christian holiness. Paul delivered them from such notions.

Here he firmly tells them that Christian couples Not must evade each other that is, to deny the rights of one partner to the body of the other. There are only two conditions. First: abstinence must be By mutual consent so that husband and wife can devote themselves exercise in fasting and prayer. The second condition is that such abstinence must be only temporary. Husband and wife should to be together again otherwise Satan will tempt them intemperance or lack of self-control.

7,6 Verse 6 has given rise to many interpretations and contradictions. Paul says: "However, I said this as a permission, and not as a command." Some took this as a sign that the apostle did not regard the preceding words as inspired. This interpretation is incorrect, because in 1 Corinthians (14:37) he claims that what he wrote for the Corinthians are the commandments of the Lord. In our opinion, the apostle says that under certain circumstances a married couple may refrain from marital relations, but such abstinence is a permission, not command. Christians do not have to shirk marital duties in order to devote themselves undividedly to prayer. Others believe that this verse refers to the general idea of ​​marriage, that is, Christians are allowed to marry, but this is not a command.

7,7 Here Paul gives advice to the unmarried. First of all, it is clear that he considered celibacy to be preferable, but understood that one can remain single only when God gives one the ability to do so. When he says: "... I wish that all people were like me", the context shows that he means "celibate". Views on whether Paul was always single or widowed by the time he wrote this are widely divergent. But even if we could resolve this dispute, it is not so necessary for our purposes.

When Paul says: "... but everyone has his own gift from God, one in this way, the other in another way", this means that God gives some people the grace to remain single, while others are explicitly called to marriage. This is a personal matter, and there can be no general law that applies equally to everyone.

7,8 Therefore he advises remain celibate and widowed, like him, himself.

7,9 But if they lack the power to control themselves, if they can't refrain they are allowed get married. For it is better to marry than to be inflamed. The incitement of passions is fraught with a serious danger of falling into sin.

7,10 The next two verses are addressed married, where both spouses are believers. "But it is not I who command those who are married, but the Lord,"- this means that Paul teaches here what he previously taught Lord Jesus, when I was on earth. Christ has already given clear commandments in this regard. For example, He forbade divorce unless it was due to unfaithfulness (Matthew 5:32; 19:9). Paul gives here a general instruction: wife should not divorce her husband.

7,11 However, he understands that there are exceptional cases when a wife is forced to leave her husband. In this case, she must remain celibate or reconcile with her husband. The separation of spouses does not break the marriage bond; rather, it gives the Lord an opportunity to straighten out the strife that led to the division and restore both parties to fellowship with Him and with each other. Husband commanded do not leave your wife. In this case, no exceptions are made.

7,12 Verses 12-24 deal with the problems of a marriage in which only one of the spouses is a believer. Paul prefaces his words with the statement: "To the rest I speak, and not the Lord." Again, we emphatically emphasize that this does not mean that what Paul said expresses his own, and not the Lord's point of view. He simply explains that the topic he is going to talk about Not mentioned in teaching Lord Jesus when He was on earth. There is no instruction like this in the gospels. The Lord Jesus simply did not understand cases of marriage where only one of the spouses is a believer. Now Christ gave his apostle instructions for this case, so what Paul says here is the inspired Word of God.

Other- that is, those whose spouses are unbelievers. This passage Not means that a marriage union is permissible between a Christian and an unbeliever. This probably refers to a situation where a person became a believer after marriage.

"If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, then he must not leave her." To fully appreciate this passage of Scripture, it is helpful to recall God's commandments given to His people in the OT. When Jews married Gentiles and children were born from this union, they were commanded to leave both wives and children. This is clear from Ezra 10:2 and Nehemiah 13:23-25.

Now in Corinth the question is being raised about what a believing wife should do with her husband and children, or what a man should do if his wife is an unbeliever. Leave her? The answer here is clearly no. The commandment of the OT no longer applies to the people of God who have been given grace. If a Christian wife is not a Christian, and she agrees to live with him, he shouldn't leave her. This does not mean that if a Christian marries an unbeliever, it is good, just that if he was already married to her when he believed, then he should not leave her.

7,13 Exactly the same a wife who has an unbelieving husband willing to live with her, should stay with her husband. Perhaps, by the testimony of her meekness and piety, she will lead him to the Lord.

7,14 Indeed, the presence of a believer in a non-Christian home has a sanctifying significance. As stated above, sanctify means to separate. This does not mean that the wife saves the unbelieving husband, nor does it mean that she makes him a saint. Here, rather, it means that he occupies a privileged position. He is lucky to have a Christian wife who prays for him. Through her life and testimony, God has His influence in this home. From a human point of view, a man whose wife is a devout Christian is more likely to be saved than one whose wife is an unbeliever. As Vine says, "he experiences a spiritual influence that brings the possibility of genuine conversion." (W.E. Vine, First Corinthians, p. 24.) This is also true of unbelieving wife And husband- a Christian. In this case the unbelieving wife is sanctified.

Then the apostle adds: "Otherwise your children would be unclean, and now they are holy." We have already noted that in the OT the children were to be left in the same way as the heathen wife. Now Paul explains that, by the grace of God, children born in a marriage where one of the spouses is a believer and the other is not - holy.

In this verse the words "holy" And "sanctified"- single root. This does not mean that the children themselves have become saints, that is, that they necessarily live pure and blameless. No, that means they've been granted a privilege. At least one of their parents loves the Lord and can tell them the gospel story. The possibility that they will be saved is great. They have the honor of living in a home where the Spirit of God dwells in one of the parents. In this sense, they are sanctified. This verse also expresses the certainty that it is possible to have children when one of the parents is a Christian and the other is not. God recognizes such a marriage, and the children will not be illegitimate.

7,15 But how should a Christian feel about his spouse's desire for a divorce? The answer is: he or she should be allowed get a divorce. Expression "brother or sister in such cases is not related" very difficult to definitively interpret. Someone explains that if a non-believer leaves a believer and there is every reason to believe that he is leaving forever, then the believer has the right to get a divorce. Those of this opinion teach that verse 15 is an introductory sentence and that verse 16 is related to verse 14 as follows:

1. Verse 14 states that the ideal situation for a believer is to remain with an unbelieving spouse, since the presence of a Christian in the home has a sanctifying effect.

2. Verse 16 suggests that by staying in a family, a believer can bring an unbeliever to Christ.

3. Verse 15 is an opening sentence in which a believer left by an unbelieving spouse is allowed to divorce (and possibly remarry).

The hope of later salvation lies in permanent union, not in the departure of the unbeliever.

But some Bible scholars insist that verse 15 only refers to separation, not divorce and remarriage. For them, this means that if a non-believer leaves, he should be allowed to do so peacefully. There is no obligation on the wife to try to save the marriage beyond what she has already done. The Lord called us to peace and we should not make emotional scenes or legal proceedings to prevent the unbeliever from leaving.

Which of these interpretations is correct? We believe that it is impossible to give a definite answer. In our opinion, in Ev. from Matthew (19.9) the Lord taught that divorce is allowed when one of the parties is guilty of infidelity (adultery). We believe that in such a case the innocent party is free to remarry.

As for 1 Corinthians 7:15, we are not sure that divorce and remarriage is allowed in the case when the unbeliever has left his Christian spouse. However, the one who is guilty of such a departure almost inevitably enters into a new relationship soon, and thus the original union will still be destroyed.

J. M. Davis writes:

"An unbeliever who leaves his family will soon marry again, which will automatically destroy the marriage union. To insist that the abandoned spouse remain celibate is to place a burden on his shoulders that in most cases a person cannot bear."(J. M. Davies, no further data available.)

7,16 The understanding of this verse varies according to the interpretation of verse 15.

Those who think that verse 15 does not permit divorce cite this verse in support. They argue that a believer may allow separation, but should not divorce an unbeliever, as this will hinder the possibility of resuming the marriage as well as the chance of saving the unbeliever. On the other hand, those who teach that divorce is permitted when a believer is left associate this verse with verse 14 and consider verse 15 to be an introductory sentence.

7,17 New converts sometimes feel that they must make a complete break with their previous life, including the institution of marriage, which in itself is not sinful. In the newfound joy of salvation there is a danger of setting up a violent revolution and overthrowing everything that has been known hitherto. To achieve its goals, Christianity does not resort to violent revolution. Rather, it produces change by peaceful means. In verses 17-24 the apostle formulates the general rule that in order to become a Christian one does not need violence and the severing of existing ties. No doubt he is primarily referring to family ties, but applies this principle to both racial and social ties.

Every believer must live in accordance with the calling of the Lord. If He called someone to family life, one should follow it in the fear of the Lord. If God has given the grace to remain celibate, a person should follow that calling. Also, if at the moment of faith he is married to an unsaved woman, he should not break off this relationship, but continue to do everything possible to bring his wife to salvation as well. What Paul says to the Corinthians is not addressed to them alone; he taught it in all churches. Vine writes:

"When Paul says, 'Thus I command all churches,' he is not issuing decrees from the center, but is simply informing the Corinthian church that he is giving them the same instructions that he has given in every church."(W.E. Vine, The Divine Plan Of Missions, p. 63.)

7,18 In verses 18 and 19, Paul deals with the topic of race relations. If, at the time of his conversion, a man was a Jew, bearing the sign of circumcision on his body, he need not regard this with an overwhelming abhorrence and try to destroy every trace of the former way of life. Likewise, a person who was a pagan at the time of rebirth should not try to hide his pagan past and accept the distinguishing marks of a Jew. We can interpret these verses to mean that a converted Jew should not be afraid to live with his Jewish wife, or a converted Gentile should not seek liberation from his own past. These external differences don't really matter.

7,19 As for the essence of Christianity, circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. The real value is keeping the commandments of God. In other words, what matters to God is what is inside, not what is outside. When accepting Christianity, there is no need to forcibly discard those relationships that have already developed in life. "Rather," says Kelly, "the Christian, by his faith, rises to a position where he is above all circumstances." (William Kelly, Notes on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, p. 123.)

7,20 The general rule is: every must stay with God in that position in which he was called. This, of course, refers to a calling that is not sinful in itself. If a person was engaged in some sinful deeds before conversion, he will have to leave them! But here the apostle is talking about something that is not bad in itself. This is proved by the following verses, which speak of bondage.

7,21 What should a believer do? slave? Should he rebel against his master and demand freedom? Does Christianity insist that we must fight for our "rights"? Paul answers here: "If you are called a slave, do not be embarrassed." In other words, were you a slave when you converted? Let it not bother you. You can remain a slave and still enjoy the blessings of the Christian life.

But if you can become free, then use the best. There are two interpretations of this passage. Some believe that Paul is saying, "If you can be freed, make every effort to take advantage of this opportunity." According to others, the apostle says that if a slave can become free, Christianity does not require him to seek this freedom. He had better use his bondage to bear witness to the Lord Jesus. Most people would prefer the first interpretation (and probably rightly so), but they should not ignore the fact that the second more closely matches the example set for us by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

7,22 For the servant who is called in the Lord is the Lord's free man. Here we do not mean a free-born person, but one who has been freed, that is, a slave who has received freedom. In other words, if a person was a slave at the time of conversion, this should not bother him, because he free Lord. He is freed from sins and slavery to Satan. On the other hand, if the person was free when he turned, he needs to understand that since then he has become a slave bound hand and foot by the Savior.

7,23 Every Christian has been bought dear price. Since then, it belongs to the one who bought it - the Lord Jesus. We must be slaves of Christ and don't become slaves of people.

7,24 Therefore, it does not matter what the social position of a person is, if he can constantly stay before God. These two words are before God- keywords that reveal the whole truth. If a man - before God then even slavery can turn into complete freedom. This is what ennobles and sanctifies any social position.

7,25 In verses 25-38 the apostle addresses the unmarried, both male and female. Word "virginity" can apply to both. Verse 25, like several others, is used to argue that the content of this chapter is not necessarily inspired. Some even go to extremes, saying that Paul, as a bachelor, showed male superiority towards women, and personal bias is reflected in his words! Of course, to share such a view is to viciously attack the inspiration of Scripture. When Paul says that Not received the commandments of the Lord about virginity, he simply means that during His earthly ministry the Lord did not give any clear instructions in this regard. So Paul gives his own advice, as one who has received from the Lord mercy to be faithful to Him, and this counsel is inspired.

7,26 All in all, Fine be celibate - in real need. phrase "real need" refers to the suffering of earthly life in general. [Or "the woes of the present" (translated as "Good News from God").] Perhaps when Paul wrote this letter, the distress was especially severe. Be that as it may, need and sorrow have existed and will continue to exist until the Lord comes.

7,27 Paul advises those who are already married don't seek a divorce. On the other hand, if a man left without a wife he shouldn't look for a wife. Expression "left without a wife" applies not only to widowers or divorcees. It means "free from the bonds of marriage" and may include those who have never been married.

7,28 Nothing Paul says can be interpreted to mean that marriage is a sin. After all, marriage was instituted by God in the Garden of Eden before sin entered the world. God Himself said: "It is not good for the man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18).

"Let marriage be honorable among all, and the bed undefiled" (Heb. 13:4). Elsewhere, Paul speaks of the prohibition of marriage as a sign of apostasy in the end times (1 Tim. 4:1-3).

Thus, Paul states: "However, even if you marry, you will not sin; and if a girl marries, she will not sin." Newly converted Christians should not think marriage is a bad thing. Yet Paul adds that women who marry will have affliction according to the flesh. This may refer to birth pangs, etc. When Paul says: "...and I feel sorry for you", Quite possibly, he means the following: 1) I feel sorry for you, because the physical suffering that is inevitable in marriage awaits you, especially the anxieties of family life; 2) I'm sorry reader to whom I list all these difficulties.

7,29 Paul would like to emphasize that since time is short even these legitimate relationships we must set aside in order to serve the Lord. The coming of Christ is at hand, and while husbands and wives should faithfully fulfill their duties to each other, they should strive to give Christ the main place in their lives.

Ayenside puts it this way:

"Everyone must act with an awareness of the fact that time is indeed running out, the return of the Lord is drawing near, and no pursuit of personal comfort must be allowed to interfere with the desire to devote oneself to doing the will of God."(Harry A. Ironside, First Epistle to the Corinthians, p. 123.)

W. E. Vine says:

“The point, of course, is not that a married man should shy away from the behavior of a husband, but his relationship with his wife should be completely subordinated to an exalted relationship with the Lord ... Who should occupy the main place in his heart; he should not allow natural relationship to destroy his obedience to Christ."(Vine, First Corinthians, p. 104.)

7,30 Neither sorrows, nor joys, nor material goods should be given too much attention. All this should be subject to our efforts not to miss the opportunity to serve the Lord before the day has passed.

7,31 While living on earth, we inevitably come into contact with worldly things. The believer can quite legitimately use them in his life. However, Paul warns us that we can use this and not abuse. For example, a Christian should not live for food, clothing, and pleasures. He can use food and clothing because it is necessary, but they should not occupy a dominant position in his life. Family, property, commerce, political, scientific, musical or artistic activities have a certain place in the world, but they can distract from the spiritual life if they are allowed to do so.

Expression "the image of this world passes" borrowed from the theater and refers to the change of scenery. It says that everything we see around us is transient. Its fragility is well described in the famous lines of Shakespeare: "The whole world is a theater. In it, women, men - all actors. They have their own exits, exits, and everyone plays more than one role." ("As You Like It", act 2, scene 7, translated by Shchepkina-Kupernik.)

7,32 Paul wants Christians were without worries. He means those concerns that hinder them in the service of the Lord. So he explains: the unmarried cares about the Lord's things, how to please the Lord. This does not mean that all unmarried believers really give themselves completely to the Lord; this means that an unmarried person has opportunities that a married person does not have.

7,33 Again, this does not mean that married cannot be attentive to God. This is a general observation: family life requires that a man pleased his wife. He needs to think about additional responsibilities. As Vine pointed out, "In general, if a man is married, his ministry is limited. If he is unmarried, he can go to the ends of the earth and preach the gospel." (Vine, First Corinthians, R. 105.)

7,34 An unmarried woman cares about the Lord, how to please the Lord, in order to be holy both in body and spirit; but the married woman takes care of the things of the world, how to please her husband.

Some clarification is also needed here. Unmarried, or girl, can give more time the Lord. Expression "to be holy in body and spirit" does not mean that celibacy is more holy; it only means that she can be more separated for the work of the Lord both body and spirit. She is not much cleaner, but she has more free time.

And again, a married woman takes care of the things of the world. This does not mean that she belongs more to the world than an unmarried woman, but part of her day must necessarily be devoted to worldly duties, such as taking care of the house. These things are legitimate and right, and Paul does not condemn or downplay them; he only claims that the unmarried have more opportunities for service and more time than the married.

7,35 Paul does not preach this doctrine in order to drive people into a rigid system of slavery. He only instructs them for their own sake. benefits so that, thinking of their lives and service to the Lord, they may judge his leading in the light of these instructions. He believes that celibacy is good, that it gives a person the opportunity serve the Lord without entertainment. According to Paul, a person is free to choose between marriage and celibacy. The apostle does not want anyone bind or drive someone into slavery.

7,36 Of all the verses in this chapter, and possibly the entire Epistle, verses 36-38 are the most misunderstood. The usual explanation is that in Paul's day the man had all the power in his house. It was his right to decide whether his daughters would marry. They couldn't do it without his permission. On this basis, these verses were understood as follows: if a man does not allow his daughters to marry, it is good, but if he allows them to do so, then he does not sin.

Such an interpretation seems almost meaningless if these verses are used as an instruction for God's people today. The interpretation does not fit into the context of the chapter and, as it seems, is hopelessly confusing.

In the translation "Good News from God" the word "maiden" is translated as "bride". In this case, the meaning of this verse is this: if a man marries his bride, he does not sin, but if he refrains from marrying her, it is better. Such a view is fraught with many complications.

William Kelly, in his commentary on 1 Corinthians, provides an alternative view that seems to have great merit. Kelly believes that the word "girl"(parthenos) can also be translated as "virginity". (However, the normative Greek word for virginity, is an abstract noun parthenia, and if Paul meant it, it is strange that he did not use the simple word "virgin", "virgin", as in Ev. Matthew 1:23.) Thus, these verses are not talking about the unmarried daughters of a man, but about his own virginity. According to this interpretation, if a person remains unmarried, he does well, and if he decides to marry, then will not sin.

The same interpretation is followed in his new translation by John Nelson Darby:

"But if someone thinks that he is behaving inappropriately for his virginity, and if he is already in adulthood, let him do what he wants, he will not sin - let him marry. But if one who is unshakably firm in his heart does not have needs, but has power over his will and has decided in his heart to keep his virginity, then he does well. Therefore, he who marries does well, and he who does not marry does better.

Then, considering verse 36 more closely, we come to the following: if a man has entered the time of full maturity, and if he does not feel that he has the gift of temperance, he will not sin if he marries. He believes that he does so out of necessity, and therefore, in this case, he must do as he wants that is, marry.

7,37 But if a person is determined to serve the Lord without entertainment and if he controls himself well enough, so that do not shy away from need marry, if he decided to remain single and all this with the good intention of glorifying God in his ministry, then he does well.

7,38 In conclusion, it is said that the one who marries (literally: "gives himself in marriage") does well, but the one who remains unmarried in order to serve the Lord more, does better.

7,39 The last two verses of chapter 7 give advice to widows. wife bound by law with her husband how long He alive. Word "law" here refers to the law of marriage ordained by God. If the husband this woman will die she free to go out for another. The same truth is proclaimed in Romans 7:1-3: death terminates the marriage relationship. However, the apostle adds one condition: she is free to marry for whom he wants, only in the Lord. First of all, this means that the person she marries must be a Christian, but the meaning of this verse is wider. In the Lord means "according to the will of the Lord." In other words, she can marry a Christian and still act against the will of God. In this important work, she must seek the guidance of the Lord and marry the believer whom the Lord will give her.

7,40 Paul candidly declares that the widow happier if you stay unmarried. This does not contradict 1 Timothy 5:14, where Paul, speaking of young widows, says that they should marry. Here he lays down the general rule, and in 1 Timothy a specific exception. Then he adds: "...but I think I also have the Spirit of God." Some misunderstand this verse, thinking that Paul is not sure of himself when he says this! We once again strongly protest any such interpretation. The inspiration of what Paul wrote in this passage is undeniable. Here he is ironic. Some Corinthians disputed his apostolate and his teachings. They claimed to have the mind of the Lord. Paul replies, "Whatever others say about me, I think I have the Spirit of God. They testify that they have it, but of course they cannot claim to have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit."

We know that Paul really had the Spirit of God in all that he has written for us, and following his instructions will bring us success.

2 But, in avoid fornication, each one shall have his wife, and each shall have her own husband.

3 Husband show his wife due favor; like a wife to her husband.

4 The wife has no power over her own body, but the husband; likewise, the husband has no power over his own body, but the wife does.

5 Do not deviate from each other, except by agreement, for a time, for the exercise in fasting and prayer, but Then be together again, lest Satan tempt you with your intemperance.

6 However, I said this as a permission, and not as a command.

7 For I desire that all men be like me; but each has his own gift from God, one this way, the other another.

8 But to the unmarried and to the widows I say, It is good for them to remain as I am.

9 But if not may abstain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to be inflamed.

10 But to those who are married, I do not command, but the Lord: A woman shall not divorce her husband, 11 if she divorces, then she must remain celibate, or be reconciled to her husband, and her husband must not leave his wife his. 12 But to others I say, and not the Lord: || if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, then he must not leave her; 13 And a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and he agrees to live with her, must not leave him.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

15 But if a disbeliever wants divorce, let him divorce; brother or sister in cases not connected; The Lord has called us to peace.

16 How do you know, wife, that you will not save your husband? Or you, husband, why do you know if you can save your wife?

17 Only do each one as God has ordained for him, and each one as the Lord has called. So I command all the churches.

18 If anyone is called by the circumcision, do not hide yourself; If anyone is called uncircumcised, do not be circumcised.

19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but All in keeping the commandments of God.

20 Everyone stay in the rank in which you are called.

21 Whether you are called a slave, do not be dismayed; but if you can become free, then use the best.

22 For the servant who is called in the Lord is the Lord's free man; likewise, he who is called free is the servant of Christ.

23 You are bought way at a price; do not become slaves of men.

24 In which rank whoever is called, brethren, in him, each one, remain before God.

25 Concerning virginity, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give counsel, as one who has received mercy from the Lord to be To him true.

26 According to the present need, for the best, I acknowledge that it is good for a person to remain like this.

27 Are you connected to your wife? don't seek divorce. Did he leave without a wife? don't look for a wife.

28 However, even if you marry, you will not sin; and if a girl marries, she will not sin. But such will have afflictions according to the flesh; and I feel sorry for you.

29 I tell you, brethren, the time is short, so that those who have wives must be as those who have not; 30 and those who weep as if they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as those who do not rejoice; and those who buy, as not acquiring; 31 and those who use this world as those who do not; for the image of this world passes away.

32 And I want you to be without worries. The unmarried cares about the Lord's things, how to please the Lord; 33 But a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife. There is a difference between a married woman and a virgin: 34 An unmarried woman takes care of the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord, in order to be holy both in body and spirit; but the married woman takes care of the things of the world, how to please her husband.

35 I say this for your own benefit, not to put bands on you, but so that you can served God without entertainment.

36 But if anyone considers it indecent for his maiden that she, being in adulthood, should remain so, let him do as he wants: he will not sin; let such are getting married.